System and Method for Providing Recommendation Icons on an Electronic Programming Guide

1. A device comprising: a processing system including a processor; and a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, comprising accessing an index of a plurality of users of a media content access system, wherein the index comprises a listing of a television program, a recommendation of the television program, and a listing of a recommending user of the plurality of users associated with the recommendation; providing a view recommendations option to equipment of a particular user, wherein the view recommendations options comprises a first plurality of selectable graphical user interface items based on the plurality of users; receiving, from the equipment of the particular user of the plurality of users, a selection of a group of recommending users of the plurality of users from which recommendations are sought to obtain a selected group of recommending users; identifying within the index, those users of the selected group of recommending users that have made the recommendations of the television program, to determine a plurality of recommending users; providing an electronic programming guide to the equipment of the particular user, wherein the electronic programming guide comprises a second plurality of selectable graphical user interface items based on the selected group of recommending users associated with television programs listed on the electronic programming guide, wherein each graphical user interface item of the second plurality of selectable graphical user interface items is associated with a different one of the selected group of recommending users based on the receiving of the selection identifying the selected group of recommending users; receiving, from the equipment of the particular user, a selection of one of the second plurality of selectable graphical user interface items to determine a selected graphical user interface item of a selected one of the selected group of recommending users; and providing information associated with the selected graphical user interface item to a first media processor of the equipment of the particular user for presentation, responsive to a determination that viewing of the information has been authorized by an author of the information, wherein the recommendation of the television program associated with the selected graphical user interface item is provided to the equipment of the particular user for outputting at a display device in response to the selection of the one of the second plurality of selectable graphical user interface items.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise storing within the index a user rating for the television program, wherein the user rating is received from a second media processor associated with the first media processor, and wherein the second plurality of selectable graphical user interface items comprise avatars representative of the selected group of recommending users.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the information is selected from a group consisting of a rating of the television program and comments associated with the television program, and wherein the television program comprises one of a television series, an episode of the television series or both.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the selectable graphical user interface items comprise one of a watch soft button, a record soft button, a view recommendations soft button, and a recommend soft button, the operations further comprising receiving the selection of the view recommendations soft button prior to displaying the information associated with the selected graphical user interface item.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein each selectable graphical user interface item of the second plurality of selectable graphical user interface items comprises a soft button associated with a rating number for the television program.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the second plurality of selectable graphical user interface items indicate that availability of a stored rating corresponding to the selected group of recommending users of the plurality of users.

7. A method comprising: maintaining, by a processing system including a processor, an index of a plurality of users of a media content access system, wherein the index comprises indicia of a television program, a rating of the television program and indicia of a recommending user of the plurality of users associated with the rating; providing, by the processing system, a view recommendations option to equipment of a particular user, wherein the view recommendations option comprises a plurality of selectable first graphical user interface items based on the plurality of users; receiving, by the processing system, from the equipment of the particular user of the plurality of users, a signal identifying a selected group of users of the plurality of users from which the rating of the television program is sought; determining, by the processing system, those users of the selected group of users of the plurality of users within the index that have made ratings of the television program, to determine a plurality of recommending users; outputting, by the processing system, to the equipment of the particular user, an electronic programming guide based on the receiving of the signal identifying the selected group of users and having for the plurality of recommending users a selectable second graphical user interface item of a recommendation profile and a title of the television program based on the ratings of the television program; receiving, by the processing system, a selection of the selectable second graphical user interface item in the electronic programming guide; and outputting, by the processing system, a television program options graphical user interface including a watch soft button, a record soft button, a view recommendations soft button, and a recommend soft button, wherein the ratings for the television program associated with the selected group of users within the index is provided to the equipment of the particular user for outputting at a display device in response to a selection of the view recommendations soft button.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising identifying, by the processing system, the television program based on consumption behavior of the user, and wherein the recommendation profile is associated with an internet protocol television provider.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the recommendation profile indicates that the selectable second graphical user interface item associated with the television program has a stored rating.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the recommendations comprise authorization information of a corresponding author, indicating end users of the plurality of users that are authorized to view the recommendation.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the recommendations comprise a group rating, and comments associated with the television program from users of an internet protocol television system.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the recommendation includes an authorization of a corresponding author, indicating end users of the plurality of users that are authorized to view the recommendation, wherein the identifying whether information for the television program is authorized for viewing is based on the authorization, and wherein the recommendation includes a rating number for the television program.

13. A machine-readable storage device, comprising a plurality of executable instructions, that when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations comprising: updating an index of a plurality of users of a media content access system, wherein the index comprises a listing of a television program, a recommendation of the television program and listing of a recommending user of the plurality of users associated with the recommendation; providing a recommendation selector to equipment of a particular user, wherein the recommendation selector comprises a plurality of selectable graphical user interface items based on a plurality of classes of users; receiving from the equipment of the particular user of the plurality of users, a selection of a class of the plurality of classes of users from which recommendations are sought to obtain a selected class of users; determining those users of the selected class of users that have made recommendations provided within the index, to determine a plurality of recommending users of the selected class of users; providing, to the equipment of the particular user, a recommendation graphical user interface item associated with the plurality of recommending users of the selected class of users and the television program; receiving a selection of the recommendation graphical user interface item; and providing information for presentation, responsive to a determination that viewing of the information has been authorized according to a list of authorized users of the plurality of users allowed to view the recommendation, wherein the recommendations of the television program associated with the selected class of users within the index is provided to the equipment of the particular user for outputting at a display device in response to a selection of a view recommendations soft button of the graphical user interface item.

14. The machine-readable storage device of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise: displaying a watch soft button, a record soft button, a view recommendations soft button, and a recommend soft button; and receiving selection of the view recommendations soft button prior to displaying the information associated with the recommendation graphical user interface item.

15. The machine-readable storage device of claim 13 , further comprising storing the selection of the recommendation graphical user interface item, wherein the selection of the recommendation graphical user interface item corresponds to information associated with the television program, wherein graphical user interface items are associated with an internet protocol television service provider.

16. The machine-readable storage device of claim 13 , wherein the information is selected from a group consisting of a rating of the television program and comments associated with the television program.

17. The machine-readable storage device of claim 16 , wherein the comments associated with the television program are from users of an internet protocol television system.

18. The machine-readable storage device of claim 13 , wherein the recommendation graphical user interface item is associated with a rating number for the television program.

19. The machine-readable storage device of claim 13 , wherein recommendation graphical user interface item corresponding to the television program indicates that the television program has a stored rating.

20. The machine-readable storage device of claim 13 , wherein the information associated with the selection of the recommendation graphical user interface item is limited by authorization provided by an author of the information when the information is generated.